Maharashtra FDA action has suspended 105 food-business licences and ordered the closure of seven establishments after inspections found hygiene, storage, food-handling and documentation violations across the state, including businesses linked to quick-commerce companies Blinkit and Zepto.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration carried out the special inspection campaign on November 4 and 5 ahead of Diwali, according to an official statement cited in the report. The action covered food businesses in several divisions, including sweet and farsan manufacturers, hotels, restaurants and catering establishments.
Of the 105 suspended licences, 39 were in the Nashik division, 28 in Mumbai, 20 in Pune, 15 in Amravati, two in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and one in Thane. The report said the Mumbai businesses included Blink Commerce Private Limited and Zepto Limited.
The FDA said inspectors found unsanitary manufacturing and storage arrangements, inadequate care in handling and packing food, a lack of pest-control systems, insufficient temperature-control arrangements and missing mandatory records and certificates. The findings cover the operational systems through which food is prepared, stored, packed and supplied to consumers in urban markets.
During the two-day campaign, the regulator seized more than 39,485.42 kilograms of food products valued at approximately Rs 1.35 crore from more than 70 establishments. The seized material included mawa, khoya, paneer, ghee, edible oil, farsan, dry fruits and various types of sweets.
The enforcement action also covered prohibited gutkha and pan masala. The FDA seized such products worth Rs 7.96 lakh from three locations, registered three first information reports and arrested two people, according to the report. Two vehicles were also seized, while two establishments were sealed.
The seven establishments ordered to close included Capital Biryani Centre in Mumbai, Aradhana Dryfruit Sweets in Bhiwandi in Thane district and three food establishments in Pune. The remaining closure order involved one establishment in the Konkan division, while the report also identified closures in Pune and Amravati as part of the total.
The inspections highlight the regulatory challenge of maintaining food-safety controls across a fragmented urban food network that includes traditional sweet shops, restaurants, caterers, manufacturers and app-linked delivery operations. The FDA’s action focused on licensing compliance, hygiene, storage conditions, temperature management and traceability records rather than only on the final product reaching consumers.
The official statement did not specify the duration of the licence suspensions, the names of all establishments covered, or the next compliance steps required for the suspended businesses. Further action will depend on the regulatory process followed by the Maharashtra FDA.
